Hockey Canada lifts Cranford’s suspension
National body agrees coach breached Don Johnson Cup regulations, but says penance from HNL went outside guidelines
In
a surprise reversal of fortune, Mount Pearl Junior Blades hockey coach Brian Cranford’s one-year suspension by Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador (HNL) has been lifted by Hockey Canada’s National Appeals Committee (NAC).
While it is rare for Hockey Canada to overturn a branch suspension, it isn’t unprecedented.
On the recommendation from the provincial junior council, Cranford was suspended for one year and the team fined $2,000 by HNL for the team’s failure to show for the opening ceremonies of the Don Johnson Cup Atlantic Junior B hockey tournament at the Jack Byrne Arena in Torbay in April.
The tournament included two teams from Newfoundland, and one each from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.
In an email sent Thursday to Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador executive director Craig Tulk, National Appeals Committee (NAC) chairman Allan Matthews stated: “There is no dispute that the appellant (Brian Cranford) breached the Don Johnson Cup Championship regulations when he and his team failed to appear at the tournament’s opening ceremonies and banquet.
The NAC ruling continued: “The penalty for that non-appearance is set out in paragraph (c) of the regulations which states, in part — All teams including all players, coaches, trainers and management personnel must participate in both the opening ceremonies and the awards banquet. Failure to do so will result in the loss of its performance bond and per diem for both days.
Matthews went on to say, “The NAC has concluded that, having specified the penalty for failing to appear at the two events in question within the regulations, it would be unreasonable to apply additional discipline against the appellant,” and, therefore, “the decision to suspend the appellant should be overturned and, as such, the appellant’s suspension shall be lifted, effective immediately.”
Cranford, on CBC and NTV television Thursday, said he was “very delighted” with Hockey Canada’s decision to overturn the suspension.
“Hockey Canada looked at my appeal and they basically said there was nothing in the rules to fine the team or suspend a person.”
However, provincial junior council chairman Gerry Taylor told The Telegram, “I don’t think Hockey Canada really understood exactly all of the things they should have understood. For instance, we didn’t pay Mount Pearl a per diem because they’re players are living at home and the per diem is to cover hotel, meal and transportation costs.
“So, we couldn’t take that away from them. But we believed something needed to be done, so we handed down a fine and a suspension and felt it was justified and Hockey Newfoundland and Labrador agreed with us.
“I feel that maybe people at Hockey Canada who looked at the appeal didn’t understand all of the ins and outs of it. They looked at the guidelines which said if you fail to attend the opening ceremonies and banquet you lose your $1,000.”
Cranford has said that because the tournament took place during university final exams the team chose to put education before hockey.
The NAC ruling made no mention of the exam issue and Taylor said the tournament organizers were in no way trying to interfere with students and their studies.
“If just the members of their (Mount Pearl) executive had shown up to the opening ceremonies and explained why others couldn’t have attended, it would have all be forgotten about,” he said. “But it was a complete boycott. There were 37 people associated with team, including the players, who could have attended the opening ceremonies or the banquet. “Not everyone was taking exams or at school.” Having said that, Taylor noted, “Brian Cranford has given a lot to junior hockey. He’s made a tremendous contribution to the league and that can’t be overlooked, but, in this case, he was the man in the centre…the man who should have been able to control what happened.”
Taylor stands by the decision to fine the team and suspend the head coach. “We did what we felt was right.” However, he said when the various Atlantic junior chairs sit again to talk about the rules and regulations for the Don Johnson Cup, “something else will have to go in their to cover off what happened this year.”
The provincial junior chairman said there are no plans to appeal Hockey Canada’s ruling.
“We accept it. We did what we felt we had to do and now we’ll move on.”